Brassiere.



C. R. DE BEVOISB.

BRASSIERE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 16, 1914.

1, 1 O6, 1 84. Patented Aug. 4, 1914,

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1V.

Worf fe y,

C. R. DE BEVOISB.

BRASSIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1914.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Worse, a citizen of the United States, resid- 'ing at Newark, in thecounty of Essex and 'wherein the garment opensV in back; Fig.

.side of the `brassin'e illustrated inlfig. 4.

"ras a'r BRAssIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Application led January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,581.

To all w71 om t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES R. DE Bn- Stateof New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brassires,of which y the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in brassieres, and proposes aconstruction which i is especially intended for use in connection withlow corsets, and which has for its principal object to nprovide asubstantial and comfortable support for the bust and yet to definitelyconform the ligure to natural lines and to establish, as to bothappearance and actual condition, a natural, easy, and graceful relationbetween the uncorseted bust and the corseted waist.

AFurther objects of the invention are to provide a brassire of thecharacter noted, which shall be intrinsically attractive in appearance,readily lending itself to the effective use of external featuresof-ornamentation, and hence, specially useful, in addition to itsprincipal purpose, as a display garment, especially when worn underbodices made up in part of lace or extremely thin or sheer material, andto provide a brassire which requires no special steps in its manufacturenor any special and expensive materialsin its make up, and hence, may bemanufactured 'at .relatively low cost.

lilmbodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferredform of the brassire wherein the garment opens in front; Fig. 2 is adeveloped plan view showing the inner side of the brassire; Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line Sw of lFig.` 2; Fig.' 4 is a perspective viewshowing a modified form is a developed plan view showing the innerSimilar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The brassire consists essentially of a front section A anda backsectionB. 1When the brassire opens in front, as in F ig. l, the front sectionconsists of `two parts a, while the back section is undivided, and whenthe brassire opens in hack, as in Fig. 1l, the back section consists oftwo parts.

o, while the front section is undivided. The parts a of a divided frontsection and the parts b of a divided back section are, in the use of.the garment, mutually secured, preferably by means of hook and eyefastenings, or equivalent devices c. The lower portion of the brassiresurrounds the upper portion of the corset and is designed to furnish afirm support for the figure at the waist and to present an even andregular surface against which the outer garment may be closely fittedwithout any wrinkling, puckering, or bulging. For this purpose, thelower corset-surrounding portion of the brassire is preferably composedof relatively slrong and unyelding material, and consists of strips offabric l and 2, forming parts of the respective back and front sectionsand preferably made up of two or more plies. The fabric strips 1 and 2conjointly form a band which encircles the upper portion of the corsetand has a close or somewhat taut `[it upon the corset. The fabric 2 ofthe front section is of greater depth than the fabric l of the backsection, and conforms to the outline of the upper front portion of thecorset, for this purpose having its upper edges inclined upwardly andpreferably along curved lines, as at 3, toward the center of the garmentand meeting in a relatively sharp apex 4.

The back section comprises, in addition to the fabric l, a smooth e.,devoid. 0f seams, ribs, or the like) body member 5,

which provides a firm support for the back 90 and is made ofsubstantially inelastic fabric, of a softer texture, however, than thefabric l and preferably comprising twoplies of material. The fabric l issecured by stitching to the lower edge portion of the tg`5 member 5.

Vv'hen the garment opens 1n back, the body member and also the strip offabric l are made in two parts, corresponding to the parts of the backsection, as a whole, as is obvious. The front section comprises, inaddition to the fabric 2, a body member G which is formed to providebreast receiving and supporting pockets 7. In consideration of thisfunction, the member 6 is composed of very soft and` flexible inelasticmaterial, and is preferably made in two plies, the inner of whichpreferably consists of net or other soft loose-mesh fabric. The fabric 2is attached to the lower edge portion of the )11o bil member 6 and thepockets 7 of said member are provided. by shirring the material of themember 6 throughout its line of connection to the fabric 2, and byfulling the upper portion of the member 6 at each side thereof, as at 8,and throughout its line of connection to the shoulder straps 9 which arepreferably composed of elastic material and connect the front and backsections A and B. vV'Vhere the garment opens in front, the body member 6and also the strip of fabric 2 are made in two parts, corresponding tothe parts of the front section, as a whole, as is obvious.

The back section, as a Whole, is of generally trapezoidal shape, and itsside edge Iportions overlie and are secured by stitching to the adjacentside edge portions of the front section, as shown at 10. rlhe overlyingconnected side edge portions 10 provide vertical reinforcement for thegarment at the sides thereof, as is obvious.

Those portions of the upper edges of the garment located undereachshoulder strap are cut away, as at 11, to prevent the garment frombinding under the arm pits.

The garment is completed by a smooth strip 12 of inelastic material,which preferably encircles its upper portion and eX- tends throughoutboth the front and back sections. rlhe strip l2 is preferably composedof ribbon of good quality, and is unyieldably secured to the garment,and preferably concealed. For this purpose the strip 12 is arrangedbetween the plies of the members 5 and 6 and is secured by the stitchingwhich forms partiof the reinforcements 10 and is also secured by thestitching which binds the edge portions of the parts a or Zn, as thecase may be.

The material of which the members 5 and 6 are composed is preferablysoft and very flexible, and these characteristics are particularlypronounced in the material of the member 6. rlhe strip 12 is arranged atsuch elevation that it extends in back across the shoulder blades and infront across the upper portion of the breasts and its oice is to furnishfirm support for the parts of the body across which it extends and,par'- ticularly as applied to the front of the garment, to prevent anyvulgar or suggestive display which might otherwise be incident to theuse of the soft and highly flexible material of the pockets 7 were thebreasts allowed to rest, without further restraint, in such pockets.

'lhe strip 12 is also a feature of ornamentation, in that it may be madeof attractively colored ribbon and although concealed between the pliesof the members 6, its coloring, rather than its outline, may besuggested through the meshes of the material forming said member. lfdesired, an ornamental bow 13 may be arranged at the upper ideare/icenter of the front section, which bow may be of the same color as, and,in fact, in one piece with, the strip 12.

The brassire herein described, when used in connection with low corsets,afords irm and eflicient support for the uncorseted part of the body,without, however, causing any binding, and at the same time, preservesthe natural outlines of the ligure, without, however permitting anyundue display.

Having fully described -my invention, l claim:

1. A brassire comprising a front section and a back section, eachsection consisting of a body member composed of soft inelastic materialand a strip of fabric secured to the lower edge of said body member, thefabric strip forming a corset encircling band which has a close lit uponthe corset, the back section having a smooth body member andbeingconnected at its sides and throughout the extent of its side edgesto the front section, whereby there is no interruption of the continuityof the garment,`

shoulder straps connecting said section at each side of the garment, thebody member of the front section being formed to provide breastreceiving and supporting pockets and being fulled throughout its line ofattachment to said shoulder straps, and a strip of inelastic materialencircling the upper p0rtion of the garment throughout its extent andunyieldably secured thereto, said strip being arranged at such anelevation that it extends across the shoulder-blades and the upperportion of the breasts, one of said sections being made in twoco-eXtensive parts adapted to be mutually connectedalong a verticallycentral line.

2. A brassire comprising a front section and a bac-k section, eachsection consisting of a body member composed of softl inelastie materialand a strip of fabricsecured to the lower edge of said body member, thefabric strip forming a corset encircling band which has a close fit uponthe corset, the back section having a smooth body member and 'beingconnected at its sides and throughout the extent of its side edges tothe front section, whereby there is no interruption of the continuity ofthe garment, shoulder straps connecting said sections at each side ofthe garment, the body member 0f the front section being formed toprovide breast receiving and supporting pockets and. being fulledthroughout its line of attachment to said shoulder straps, and a stripof inelastic material extending across the upper portion of the frontsection and unyieldably secured to said section, one of said sectionsbeing made in two cri-extensive parts adapted to be mutually connectedalong a vertically central line.

3. A. brassire comprising a front section and a back section, eachsection consisting of a body member composed of soft inel`astic materialand a strip of fabric secured to the lower edge of said body member, thefabric strip forming a corset encircling band which has a close t uponthe corset, the back section having a smooth body member and beingconnected at its sides and throughout the extent of its side edges tothe front section, whereby there is no interruption of the continuity ofthe garment, and shoulder straps connecting said sections at each sideof the garment, the strip of fabric of the front section having itsupper edges inclined along curved lines upwardly to a central apex, thebody member of.the front section being formed to provide breastreceiving and supporting pockets and being fulled throughout its line ofattachment to said shoulder straps and shirred throughout its line ofattachment to said fabric, one of said sections `being made in twoco-extensive parts adapted to be mutually connected along a verticallycentral line, and a strip of inelastic material encircling the upperportion of the garment throughout lts extent and unyieldably securedthereto, said Strip being arranged at such an elevation that it extendsacross the shoulder-blades and the upper portion of the breasts.

4. A brassire comprising. a front section and a back section, eachsection consisting of a body member'composed of soft inelastic materialand a strip of fabric Secured to the lower edge of said body member, thefabric strip forming a corset encircling band which has a close fit uponthe corset, the back section having a smooth body member and beingconnected at its sides and throughout the extent of its side edges tothe front section, whereby there is no interruption of the continuity ofthe arment, and shoulder straps connecting said sections at each side ofthe garment, the strip of fabric of the front section having its upperedges inclined along curved lines upwardly to a central apex, the bodymember of the front section being formed to provide breast receivin andsupporting pockets and being fulle throughout its line of attachment tosaid shoulder straps and shirred throughout its line of attachment tosaid fabric strip, one of said sections being made in two co-extensiveparts adapted to be mutually connected along a vertically central line,and a strip of inelastic material extending across the upper portion ofthe front section and unyieldably secured to said section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES R. DE BEVOISE. Witnesses:

S. D. BUCHANAN, M. L. MARKEY.

